One Year Later: A Masterball.net Story!

We’ve been around for one whole year! How time flies!

Heyo, everyone! I’m your host Ghalheart and, as of yesterday, Masterball.net is now 1 year old! How cool is that?

I started this website because I wanted to do something more with my life than just play games and surf the internet. I wanted to at least put something out there that people might enjoy – to be a contributor, regardless of how little or how small of a reach I would have, instead of just being a consumer.

I started out by contributing a few blog posts over at Destructoid, but then thought “hey, why not go one step further and actually make your own website?” It was a crazy thought. and certainly one that was on a whim, but here we are!

Despite being a huge fan of several other series and franchises, I decided that a website based on Pokémon would be a sure fit for me. Having been engrossed with the world of Pokémon since 1998 and haven’t missed a single Generation of video game since its North American release, I decided to do something that would allow me to utilize my passion for this long-running series and franchise.

And so, on August 1st, 2015, Masterball.net was born!

The first layout!

Even after only one year, it’s been quite the journey! Covering various merchandise, events, trading cards, to even the monthly CoroCoro report proved very daunting for a newbie blogger such as myself, especially since my supposed wealth of Pokémon knowledge extended mostly to the video games. And yet, despite working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week at my day job, I still found time to write about some of the biggest events happening to the series – something that I used to take for granted given how some sites have been doing this for years.

Despite the hard work (in addition to the handicap that comes from working a hectic day job such as mine), making this site has had a lot of benefits I never imagined:

I met a lot of really cool people on social media, some of which directly contributing to the site for some articles and more.

I became reacquainted with the Pokémon Trading Card Game after a 15 year hiatus, having discovered how far the artwork has come in the TCG and how the game has evolved over the years. I also managed to meet new friends as a direct result – people whose enthusiasm for even the Japanese version the Pokémon TCG has rubbed off onto me since.

I learned a bit more of how the internet works, now that I’ve had some experience owning and operating my own website. It’s still a bit overwhelming at times, but that’s the nature of net!

The current layout!

Amidst other long-established Pokémon fan sites and mainstream gaming websites that cover Pokémon, I am truly blessed to find myself not only with a following (whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or the recently-implemented Tumblr page), but also with a consistent daily viewership with hundreds upon hundreds of people visiting the site every day!

It is because of all of you I have to thank for being here, writing for this site. Whether you check the site often or you discover it randomly while browsing the web, I thank you for visiting Masterball.net!

Of course, this doesn’t mean the journey’s over! Far from it! There’s still a ton of stories to report on in the world of Pokémon, especially with Pokémon Sun & Moon releasing later this year as well as future expansions of the Pokémon TCG on the horizon, not to mention the ever-growing fanbase of people talking, playing, drawing, and sharing everything to do with Pokémon!

Here’s to a glorious first year of Masterball.net – and many more to come!

“Thanks for stopping by!”

~ Ghalheart

Seriously, you guys are awesome! Keep checking back every Tuesday and Friday for more coverage on the wonderful world of Pokémon!